“By the way, I’m worried about Jinho.”
“Why?”
“He’s not in good shape today, but he agreed to take care of those reservation customers from earlier.”
“Ah… So that’s why he said he’d be going home late today.”
“Yeah. When it’s all done, it’ll probably be around midnight. I’d substitute for him if I could, but it’s my friend’s birthday, so I have to leave right away after work. I don’t think other people will do it either.”
“Can’t the manager do it?”
“Jinho’s doing it because the manager can’t. If the manager could, the manager would’ve stayed, of course.”
“Then should I substitute?”
“You still don’t know things well, so the manager will absolutely say no. Ugh, why did he drink so much yesterday? He probably drank excitedly thinking it was the afternoon shift today.”
Jinho hyung looked so rough that he still smelled of alcohol even at 5 PM. When I asked if he was okay, he answered as if used to it that he’d be fine soon, so I thought that would be the case, but rather, he looked much worse now than before.
“Anyway, let’s just work. Are you done with your tables?”
“Ah. Yes. I came to check the tables with many reservations.”
“Then help with Jinho’s tables.”
Most of the teppanyaki side was reservation customers, so there were many customers who designated chefs, and perhaps because of that, even among the same bar-style tables, certain tables had far more customers. So serving was also assigned fairly in turns, but unfortunately today, people were crowded at tables 3 and 4 that Jinho hyung was in charge of.
While a flashy fire show unfolded, I approached Jinho hyung, who was spacing out.
“Are you okay?”
“Huh? No. I’m going crazy. Now my stomach hurts too.”
“Looks like the hangover really hit. I’ll stay here, so go to the bathroom.”
“Let me stay just a bit longer.”
“You’re breaking out in cold sweat right now.”
Jinho hyung, who had been hesitating, disappeared with a word of thanks. In fact, his steps were faster than usual, as if it was really urgent.
[Excuse me.]
[Yes-]
Fortunately, table 3 only had customers who had almost finished eating, so I could easily work going between the two tables. Jinho hyung came back only after nearly 15 minutes had passed, and his face definitely looked more comfortable than a little while ago. He secretly came to the side and whispered thanks.
Thinking that tables were gradually clearing out, I checked the time and it was already 10:30. Certainly, when there were many customers, my body might be tired, but time passed quickly as much as I was busy.
“Sungha.”
“Yes?”
“I have to go again. Sorry.”
“Huh? Hyung, then-“
Before I could even answer, Jinho hyung disappeared with an urgent expression. It’s almost time for the reservation customers to come. My question about what he was going to do just lingered in the air.
The boss, who had been watching that scene, called me to a table where all the customers had left. The boss was checking the thoroughly cleaned table once more and checking the teppanyaki temperature.
“Sungha. Go to the kitchen and ask them to prepare steak and lobster. The steak should be filet mignon.”
“Yes. Just one serving?”
“Yeah.”
Is the customer coming alone by any chance?
“And Gyeongsik, let’s talk for a moment.”
When I came back from the kitchen, the boss was still talking with the manager, and as soon as he saw me, he gestured for me to come over again. The slightly furrowed brow of the manager next to him made me tense for no reason.
“Do you need anything else?”
“Ah, right. Um…”
The boss hesitated for a moment and then asked with a smile.
“Do you have plans after work today?”
Wasn’t this not his usual way of speaking? It was an unusually gentle tone.
“No.”
“Then can you take care of one more reservation table? Jinho won’t do, I have to send him home.”
“Yes. I’ll do that.”
I just answered right away because I already knew the situation, but both of them looked quite moved by my answer without hesitation.
“Since there’s only that customer anyway, there won’t be much to do. You just have to bring what the boss asks you to bring.”
“Yes. What about closing over there?”
“When the reservation customer comes, don’t worry about other tables and just stay here. I’ll do the closing for the table you were in charge of.”
The manager, who said he’d absolutely not allow it because I still didn’t know things well, seemed to think it worked out well instead. If you were someone who watched Jinho hyung the whole time we worked, his condition was serious enough that you’d more than understand.
Jinho hyung, who was returning with a haggard face, turned his steps around again and headed to the bathroom. Seeing that, the manager clicked his tongue low. At the same time, I heard an ominous remark to just wait and see when he comes tomorrow.
The customer who made a reservation at 10:40 hadn’t arrived even though it was almost 11 o’clock.
Making a late reservation and being 20 minutes late. No matter how important a customer they were, I thought it was really rude to cause this much inconvenience, but I had the strange feeling of hoping they’d definitely come even if late, in case the worst situation of suddenly not being able to come happened.
We already prepared all the food.
It wasn’t just the food. Just because of one reservation team, as many as 5 people were remaining—the boss, me, the kitchen auntie, the Japanese chef, and the receptionist. No matter how expensive they ordered, at this point it was completely doing business at a loss.
“Boss, they’re here.”
At exactly 11 o’clock, the receptionist brought the customer in question alone to the hall. The customer I thought would be alone was two people, a woman and a man.
“Welcome!”
“Hello.”
The man who approached first bowed his head and then raised it. For a moment, it felt like I’d been hit on the head.
Since they were an important customer, I naturally thought they’d be someone with some age. I thought at least their 40s or 50s, but the man visible before my eyes surprisingly looked to be only around my age. And more surprising than looking young was the man’s appearance itself.
That’s the kind of appearance you should thank your parents for.
Slightly tanned skin with distinct features. Eyes, nose, and mouth forming perfect symmetry. On top of that, an exotic image not easily seen. The man had a very outstanding appearance to the point of blowing away a sharp and blunt impression. Enough to make even me, a man, lose my senses.
He even looked clearly different from others despite wearing a commonly seen short-sleeved t-shirt and jeans, perhaps because of his tall height and build.
I’m not on the small side either.
The man seemed to easily exceed my height of 182 centimeters.
“Please sit here first, both of you.”
Only after hearing the words “both of you” did the woman next to the man come into my view.
A dress emphasizing her slender figure and high heels. Long hair and makeup well set. Even accessories that seemed to match her outfit. In short, it was a perfectly groomed appearance from head to toe. She had a small and petite build, but her face was small and her proportions were good, so she was pretty and attractive enough that anyone would look back at least once.
I feel like I’ve seen her a lot somewhere, but where?
The man’s side was completely new, but the woman’s side felt strangely familiar. Wondering if I’d met her somewhere, I traced back old memories, but she wasn’t one of the many people I knew.
“Sorry for being late.”
“Not at all.”
“I tried to contact you, but I was driving… Anyway, I apologize.”
The man, who I expected would be extremely rude, was unexpectedly quite polite. As soon as he came, he apologized several times for being late, and when dealing with the boss, he did so as if dealing with someone of high standing. Perhaps because of that, the boss also treated him differently.
“Now that you’ve come, that’s what matters. It’s really been a long time. You’ve really become an adult now.”
The boss’s usual appearance of joking or telling interesting stories couldn’t be found. His current appearance was different even from how he’d treated other customers until just before. It was strange and fascinating that he treated someone so much younger so respectfully.
“I prepared what you originally liked, is that okay?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t know what the person with you would like, so I didn’t prepare anything in advance. Please look at the menu slowly and let us know.”
“Excuse me, do you have any menu you recommend that’s different from the same menu?”
“Ah, then…”
As the manager said, the boss dealt with the customers directly, so there wasn’t really anything for me to do. It would be better if I were doing something, but standing still at a spot one step away felt awkward instead. So I was listening to their conversation for the moment when I’d be needed.
“Then I’ll have that. Is the menu here also available right now?”
“Yes. It’s possible.”
“Oh? Then let’s order sushi and some tempura too.”
When I wrote down the menu and went to the kitchen, everyone gathered in the back had surprised faces. It seemed the teppanyaki alone was already more than enough for 2 people, but they ordered sushi, udon, and even tempura—an amount enough for 4 people to eat.
“They’re going to eat all of this?”
“Yes.”
Although the woman’s order was an amount they couldn’t eat all of, no one stopped her. The man just calmly nodded, and the boss just watched that. Naturally, I also didn’t say anything.
Even after that, there wasn’t much for me to do. I quietly went to the side when there was no water or when plates were empty in between, but there was no particular need to exchange words. There was so little to do that it was difficult to discreetly stay away.
I don’t have a hobby of eavesdropping on other people’s stories, but I couldn’t completely go somewhere else, so I had to listen to all the conversation they were having.
“Auntie bragged so much. I begged saying I wanted to come somehow.”
“The madam did?”
“Yes. When I asked, she knew about it. She told me to go several times.”
“Are you satisfied?”
“Totally. I said I should eat just a little since it’s so late, but I overate.”
“Then will you pass on dessert?”
“Hey, I still have to eat that though.”
Compared to the woman being quite talkative, the man’s side was silent. Even though the man’s side was the regular customer who’d known them for a long time, except for exchanging a few words of greeting when they first came, he didn’t speak at all. I thought that appearance was exactly like how he looked.
“I’m really going to be in big trouble at this rate. I already gained 2 kilos, lately. Other people lose some when summer comes, so why am I the opposite?”
“You’re thin, so it’s okay to gain a little.”
“What if I really gain weight while being careless like that?”
But then, the man who had been listening to the story about diets for a while threw out a completely unexpected remark.
“You’ll be pretty even if you gain weight.”
Ah. That’s really unexpected.
